Deck 16: Oversight

Question 1

Project office functions typically include which of the following?

A) Create and maintain the internal project management information system.
B) Recruit and select project managers.
C) Train personnel in project management techniques.
D) Develop risk management programs.
E) All of these are typically functions of the project office.

Answer 1

E
Explanation: The different services project offices may provide include creating and maintaining the internal project management information system,recruiting and selecting project managers both within and outside the organization,establishing standardized project planning and reporting methodologies,training personnel in project management techniques and tools,auditing ongoing and recently completed projects,and developing comprehensive risk management systems,just to name a few.

Question 2

The major goals of phase gating are all of the following EXCEPT

A) To ensure oversight.
B) To provide a detailed investigation of variances.
C) To direct organization resources toward strategic goals.
D) To reduce the number of projects that do not support the forward direction of the organization.
E) To ensure support for the project manager.

Answer 2

B
Explanation: The major goals for phase gating are to ensure oversight and support for the project manager and the project team,to direct organization resources toward strategic goals,and to reduce the number of projects that do not support the forward direction of the organization.

Question 3

During which of the following phase gates would the questions "Are the resources needed identified and available?" and "Are tasks sequenced and is a time-phased budget established?" be answered?

A) Proposal
B) Screening and selection
C) Implementation plan
D) Progress evaluation
E) Closure

Answer 3

C
Explanation: The implementation plan review information should include the planning document developed in earlier chapters.In this phase two of the questions are "Are the resources needed identified and available?" and "Are tasks sequenced and is a time-phased budget established?"

Question 4

Managing the organization project portfolio includes the following key responsibilities EXCEPT

A) Confirm linkage to strategy.
B) Ensure availability of resources.
C) Balance risk of projects.
D) Balance profit of projects.
E) Prioritize projects.

Question 5

During which of the following phase gates would the question "Does this project align with our strategic direction?" be answered?

A) Proposal
B) Screening and selection
C) Implementation plan
D) Progress evaluation
E) Closure

Question 6

The phase-gated process includes how many go/kill decision points or gates?

A) Three
B) Four
C) Five
D) Six
E) Seven

Question 7

Which of the following is responsible for the continued support of consistent application of selection criteria,standards,processes,training,and general assistance to project managers and continued improvement and use of best practices?

A) Portfolio project management
B) Project office
C) Project management
D) Oversight committee
E) Resource allocation optimization committee

Question 8

The intent of project oversight includes all of the following EXCEPT

A) Meet the needs of the organization through procedures.
B) Support the project manager.
C) Meet the needs of the organization through continuous improvement.
D) Meet the needs of the organization through improving everyday business activities.
E) Meet the needs of the organization through accountability.

Question 9

During which of the following phase gates would the question of "Are time,costs,and scope performances within acceptable limits?" be answered?

A) Proposal
B) Screening and selection
C) Implementation plan
D) Progress evaluation
E) Closure

Question 10

At the project level,all of the following are examples of oversight activities EXCEPT

A) Review project objectives.
B) Track and assist the project to resolve bottlenecks.
C) Project selection.
D) Review status reports.
E) Audit and review lessons learned.

Question 11

During which of the following phase gates would the questions "Were the project scope objectives met?" and "Were project cost and schedule met?" be answered?

A) Proposal.
B) Screening and selection.
C) Implementation.
D) Progress evaluation.
E) Closure.

Question 12

The term that can be defined as a set of principles and processes to guide and improve the management of projects is

A) Project administration.
B) Fiduciary responsibility.
C) Management.
D) Project oversight.
E) Project regulation.

Question 13

The importance of the increase in project oversight to today's project manager includes all of the following EXCEPT

A) Oversight increases expected profits from projects.
B) Oversight increases interest in supporting and helping the project manager.
C) Oversight impacts the environment in which the project will be implemented.
D) Oversight impacts how the project manager's performance will be measured.
E) Project progress will be reported to an oversight group.

Question 14

The centralized management of projects to ensure that the allocation of resources to projects is directed toward projects that contribute the greatest value to organization goals is known as

A) Portfolio project management.
B) Project office management.
C) Project management optimization.
D) Project priority matrix management.
E) Resource allocation optimization.

Question 15

Typical activities of project oversight cover which two dimensions?

A) Organization and project
B) Project and customer
C) Customer and industry
D) Industry and organization
E) Organization and customer

Question 16

At the organizational level,all of the following are examples of oversight activities EXCEPT

A) Audit and review lessons learned.
B) Project selection.
C) Portfolio management.
D) Assessing the maturity level of the organization's project management system.
E) Continuous improvement.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the growth levels in the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3^TM)?

A) Repeatable (formal application of project management).
B) Defined (institutionalization of project management).
C) Managed (management of project management system).
D) Expanded (expansion of project management system).
E) Optimized (optimization of project management system).

Question 18

During which of the following phase gates would the question,"What are the project's ROI and/or nonfinancial benefits?" be answered?

A) Proposal
B) Screening and selection
C) Implementation plan
D) Progress evaluation
E) Closure

Question 19

The purpose of _____________ is to enable organizations to assess their progress in implementing the best project management practices in their industry and continuously move to improvement.

A) Phase gates
B) A project office
C) Maturity models
D) Retrospective and lessons learned
E) Balance scorecard

Question 20

The in-depth review of individual projects at specific phases in the project life cycle is known as

A) Project assessment checkpoint reviews.
B) Go/kill decision review methodology.
C) Phase gate methodology.
D) Stargate review methodology.
E) Project implementation review.

Question 21

The project __________ is responsible for the continued support of consistent application of selection criteria,standards,processes,training,and general assistance to project managers.

Question 22

In which of the following Project Management Maturity Model Levels is the focus is on continuous improvement through incremental advancements of existing practices and by innovations using new technologies and methods?

A) Ad hoc project management
B) Formal application of project management
C) Institutionalization of project management
D) Management of project management system
E) Optimization of project management system

Question 23

The balanced scorecard model differs from project selection models by reviewing projects over a longer horizon of ___________ after the project is implemented.

A) 1-2 years
B) 1-5 years
C) 5-10 years
D) 10-15 years
E) 15 years

Question 24

When considering the phase gate review process,gate criteria and specific outputs must be established at each gate.The criteria for all of the gates during the project should be selected ________ the start of the project.

Question 25

It is well established that project-driven companies with higher maturity levels are more ____________ in managing projects.

Question 26

The first appearance of standard approaches to managing projects including scope statements and WBS occurs in which of the following Project Management Maturity Model Levels?

A) Ad hoc project management
B) Formal application of project management
C) Institutionalization of project management
D) Management of project management system
E) Optimization of project management system

Question 27

The _________ phase of the phase-gated process answers the fundamental question: "Is the project a good idea and does it solve a business problem or issue?"

Question 28

Which model reviews projects over a long horizon and measures the results of major activities taken to support the overall vision,mission,and goals of the organization? This model helps answer two questions: "Did we select the right projects?" and "Did the project contribute to the long-range strategic direction of the firm?"

A) Phase gate.
B) Project office.
C) Maturity.
D) Retrospective and lessons learned.
E) Balance scorecard.

Question 29

An established process of managing projects that is evident by planning templates,status report systems and checklists for each stage of the project life cycle occurs in which of the following Project Management Maturity Model Levels?

A) Ad hoc project management
B) Formal application of project management
C) Institutionalization of project management
D) Management of project management system
E) Optimization of project management system

Question 30

Phase gates provide an in-depth review of individual projects at specific ________ in the project life cycle.

Question 31

The centralized management of projects to ensure that the allocation of resources to projects is directed toward projects that contribute the greatest value to organization goals is known as __________ project management.

Question 32

Project __________ can be defined as a set of principles and processes to guide and improve the management of projects.

Question 33

The ____________ review process can be defined as a structured process to review,evaluate,and document outcomes in each project phase and to provide management with information to guide resource deployment toward strategic goals.

A) Phase gate
B) Project office
C) Maturity model
D) Retrospective and lessons learned
E) Portfolio management

Question 34

The typical activities of project oversight cover two dimensions.Project selection and portfolio management are typical activities at the _________ level of project oversight.

Question 35

The typical activities of project oversight cover two dimensions.Reviewing project objectives and resolving project bottlenecks are typical activities at the _________ level of project oversight.

Question 36

The second purpose of project oversight is to support the ___________.

Question 37

Project audits are performed on all significant projects and lessons learned are recorded and used on subsequent projects in which of the following Project Management Maturity Model Levels?

A) Ad hoc project management.
B) Formal application of project management.
C) Institutionalization of project management.
D) Management of project management system.
E) Optimization of project management system.

Question 38

Each gate within the phase gate review process should,at a minimum,include the following EXCEPT

A) Required deliverables.
B) A plan to proceed.
C) Gate criteria.
D) Specific outputs.
E) A clear yes/no decision on whether to go ahead.

Question 39

The __________ review process can be defined as a structured process to review,evaluate,and document outcomes in each project phase and to provide management with information to guide resource deployment toward strategic goals.

Question 40

No consistent project management process is in place in which of the following Project Management Maturity Model Levels?

A) Ad hoc project management
B) Formal application of project management
C) Institutionalization of project management
D) Management of project management system
E) Optimization of project management system

Question 41

Project oversight can be defined as a set of principles and processes to guide and improve the management of projects.

Question 42

The level of the Project Management Maturity Model where the focus is on continuous improvement through incremental advancements of existing practices and by innovations using new technologies and methods is called __________ of project management system.

Question 43

During the ___________ phase of the phase-gated process questions such as "Were project scope objectives met?" and "Were project cost and schedule met?" are addressed.

Question 44

The ________ model limits measures of performance to goals in four main areas: customer,internal,innovation and learning,and financial measures.

Question 45

Project management control is the term that has emerged to reflect how organizations oversee their project management systems.

Question 46

The _________ phase of the phase-gated process includes a thorough analysis based on selection criteria.

Question 47

A project management __________ model strives for a never-ending goal to continuously improve the management of projects.

Question 48

The level of the Project Management Maturity Model where there is no consistent project management process in place is called __________ project management.

Question 49

The level of the Project Management Maturity Model where the organization develops a system for managing multiple projects that are aligned with strategic goals of the organization is called __________ of project management system.

Question 50

Project selection would be an oversight activity at the project level.

Question 51

The phase gate review process is the centralized management of projects to ensure that the allocation of resources to projects is directed toward projects that contribute the greatest value to organization goals.

Question 52

The phase gate review process can be defined as a structured process to review,evaluate,and document outcomes in each project phase and to provide management with information to guide resource deployment toward strategic goals.

Question 53

The balanced scorecard model differs from project selection models by reviewing projects over a _______ horizon.

Question 54

The level of the Project Management Maturity Model where there is an organizationwide project management system that is tailored to the needs of the organization is called ____________ of project management.

Question 55

The typical activities of project oversight cover two dimensions: _________ and __________.

Question 56

During the ___________ phase of the phase-gated process questions such as,"Are resources needed identified and available?" and "Are tasks sequenced and is a time-phased budget established?" are addressed.

Question 57

A key purpose of project oversight is to support the project manager.

Question 58

The level of the Project Management Maturity Model where the organization applies established project management procedures and techniques is called ___________ of project management.

Question 59

During the ___________ phase of the phase-gated process what went wrong and what contributed to success are identified.

Question 60

The _________ phase of the phase-gated process covers the control activities of tracking progress,identifying variances from your plan,and taking corrective action.

Question 61

When considering the phase gate review process,each gate must have established gate criteria and specific outputs.The criteria for all of the gates during the project are selected before the start of the project.

Question 62

Project offices are known to result in positive benefits such as serving as a bridge between senior management and project managers.

Question 63

Project Management Maturity Models provide an in-depth review of individual projects at specific phases in the project life cycle.

Question 64

The ad hoc project management level has no consistent project management process in place.

Question 65

The proposal phase within the phase gate review answers the fundamental question: "Is the project a good idea and does it solve a business problem or issue?"

Question 66

The balanced scorecard model differs from project selection models by reviewing projects during several consecutive short periods of time.

Question 67

The typical activities of project oversight cover two dimensions.Identify those two dimensions and give two examples of activities for each of those dimensions.

Question 68

When considering the Project Management Maturity Model,progress from one level to the next is relatively quick with adequate planning.

Question 69

The decision points at each phase gate must include a clear yes/no decision on whether to go ahead.

Question 70

One important aspect of oversight is that it holds the project manager responsible and accountable.

Question 71

The highest level in the Project Management Maturity Model is management of a project management system.

Question 72

What is portfolio project management?

Question 73

A weighted scoring model would be an appropriate tool to use during the proposal phase of a phase gate review.

Question 74

During the implementation plan review phase of a phase gate review,it is established whether or not resources are available,whether or not tasks have been sequenced and the budget has been time-phased.

Question 75

What is the project office and what is its relationship to oversight?

Question 76

An organization that has an institutionalized project management system would have no formal project priority system and would provide limited training in project management.

Question 77

Phase gate methodology is an example of an oversight activity.

Question 78

Briefly describe what project oversight is and why it is important to project management.

Question 79

Reviewing lessons learned would be an oversight activity at the project level.

Question 80

Project maturity has become a competitive edge.